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speaks of him as conversant with every part of science [K]; and, indeed, the marks of a cultivated and improved mind are stamped in every page of his book; but these are almost eclipsed by the splendor of his inspired knowledge. In the delivery of his prophecies and instructions, he utters his enraptured strains with an elevation and majesty which unhallowed lips could never have at

on a comparison of the eleventh and thirty-fifth chapters of his work, with the fourth Eclogue of Virgil; in which the Poet has introduced thoughts, imagery, and diction, strikingly similar, indeed, to those employed by Isaiah, but infinitely inferior as to the effect produced. Virgil is supposed to have borrowed from the predictions of the Cumaan Sybil, that descripton of the Golden Age which he represents as ready to commence with the birth of some illustrious personage, (as, perhaps, the expected offspring of Octavia, or of Scribonia.) The images, however, were so appropriate to the Messiah and his kingdom, that they must have been derived from a sacred source, though it is not necessary to consider them as the result of immediate inspiration. The Sybilline verses might have been fragments of inspired prophecies spread abroad in Greek verse by the Hellenistical Jews. Virgil might have collected ideas with regard to the expected Messiah, from the Jews in general, and particularly from Herod, who was about this time at Rome, and whose sons when residing there were received by Pollio. Vid. Joseph. Antiq. Lib. XV. c. x. p. 696. Edit. Hudson. Or, lastly, the Poet, or other learned persons among the Romans, might have had some knowledge of the Septuagint version of the scriptures, since they were inquisitive after all kinds of literature. Vid. Lowth's Prælect. 21. Chandler's Vindic. ch. ii. § iii, et Postscript, p. 44. and Cud worth's Intel. Syst. c. iv. § 16.

[K] Hieron. Præf. in Esai.

tained [L]. From the grand exordium in the first chapter, to the concluding description of the Gospel, to "be brought forth" in wonders, and to terminate in the dispensations of eternity: from first to last, there is one continued display of inspired wisdom, revealing its oracles and precepts for the instruction of mankind.

The prophecies of Isaiah were modulated to a kind of rhythm, and they are evidently divided into certain metrical stanzas or lines [M].

The Greek version of Isaiah appears to have been made long after that of the Pentateuch; it is a very lax and inaccurate translation, and was probably composed after the time of Antiochus Epiphanes [N].

Isaiah, besides this book of prophecies, wrote an account of the actions of Uzziah [o]; this has perished with some other writings of the Prophets, which, as probably not written by inspiration, were never admitted into the canon of scripture. Some apocryphal books have likewise been attributed to him; among others, that so often cited by Origen and other fathers, entitled the Ascension of Isaiah

[L] Chap. vi. 6, 7.

[M] Vitringa. Proleg. in Esaiam. p. 8. Lowth's preface, and Scaliger's Animad. in Chron. Euseb.

[N] Those of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodosion, are now lost.

[o] 2 Chron. xxvi. 22. et Vitrin. Proleg. 3. Dr. Kennicott fancies that Isaiah composed the 39th Psalm on the approach of Rezin and Pekah to Jerusalem,

[P]; not to mention a later book, called the Vision of Isaiah [], which is only a compilation from his works. These are probably attributed to him on as insufficient grounds as are the books of Solomon and Job.

[P] Origen in Matt. xxiii. et Epist. ad African. Hieron. in Esaiam 64. Epiphan. Hæres 40, and 67.

[Q] This was published at Venice. Vid. Sixt, Senens. Bib. Sac. in Isaiah,

OF THE

BOOK OF THE PROPHET

JEREMIAH.

JEREMIAH was the son of Hilkiah; probably not of that Hilkiah [A] who was high priest in the reign of Josiah, but certainly he was of sacerdotal extraction; and a native of Anathoth, a village about three miles from Jerusalem, appointed for the priests, in that part of Judæa, which was allotted to the tribe of Benjamin [B]. He was called to the prophetic office, nearly at the same time with Zephaniah, in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah the son of Amon, A.M. 3376. Like St. John the Baptist and St. Paul, he was even in his mother's womb ordained a Prophet to the Jews and other nations [c]. He was not, however, expressly addressed by the word of God till about the fourteenth year of his age; when

[A] 2 Kings xxii. 4. Clemens Alexand. Strom. Lib. I. p. 390. edit. Potter. Sixt. Senens.

[B] Hieron. Præf. in Prophet. Josh. xxi. 13, 18. xviii. 28. [c] Jerem. i. 6. and Hieron. in Hierem.

he diffidently sought to decline the appointment on account of his youth, till influenced by the divine encouragement, he obeyed, and continued to prophesy upwards of forty years, during several successive reigns of the degenerate descendants of Josiah; to whom he fearlessly revealed those marks of the divine vengeance which their fluctuating and rebellious conduct drew on themselves and their country [D]. After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, he was suffered by Nebuchadnezzar to remain and lament the miseries and desolation of Judæa, from whence he sent consolatory assurances to his captive countrymen. He was afterwards, as we are by himself informed, carried with his disciple Baruch into Egypt [E], by Johanan the son of Kareah, who contrary to his advice and prophetic admonitions, removed thither from Judæa.

Many circumstances relative to Jeremiah, are interspersed in his writings, and many more which deserve but little credit, have been recorded by the Rabbins and other writers [F]. He appears during his whole life to have been exposed to

[D] Chap. xxi. 4—11. xxiv. 8—10. xxxii. 3, 4. xxxiv. 2—5. comp. with Ezek. xii. 13. and Joseph. Antiq. Lib. X. cap. v. vi. vii. p. 441–447. Edit. Hud. et Lib. XI. p. 468. Jer. xxxvi. 30, 31.

[E] Chap. xliii. 3-7. Abarbenel erroneously asserts that Jeremiah was carried into captivity with Jeconiah, or Jehoiachin contrary to the Prophet's own account. Vid. Abarb. in Ezek.

[F] 2 Macc. ii. 1-7. Euseb. Præp. Evang. Lib. IX. c. xxxix. Hieron. cont. Jovinian. Lib. II. Tertull. Adv. Gnost, c. viii.

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